Healing the Heart
by notyetinsanebutnotquiteright
Summary: This takes place after the season finale. Zuko is on the hunt again but what started out as the perfect ambush plan turns into a disaster. Yes this is ZK. Rated T Just in Case.
1. Beginnings

Summary: This takes place after the season finale. Zuko is on the hunt again but what started out as the perfect ambush plan turns into a disaster. Something big happens...in chapter two...something I think they should do on the show. Yes this is Z/K and maybe A/OC. Rated Teen just in case.

AN: This is my first fan fic. I really hope you like it. If you dont, that's cool. Just review either way! I got the idea for this from a dream I had...yes, I know, creepy...but anyway...on to the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I really dont own Avatar...honestly! Boy Scout's Honor! (too bad I'm not a boy scout)

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_Somewhere in Earth Kingdom territory..._

A large mass of white floated through the clouds above where Prince Zuko stood. To any other traveler, it just looked like a fast moving cloud. Prince Zuko knew better though. He knew that on the back of the beast rode the Avatar. The one thing he hunted and now the only thing that could save him and his Uncle from the Fire Lord's wrath. Ever since the loss of his ship, he had gotten used to traveling on foot and with his Uncle. He left the North Pole tired and broken, but the fire inside of him burnt stronger than ever. His Uncle was not faring well. The retired General Iroh had caught a cold in the North Pole. Fire Benders need heat to remain stable, but the intense cold shocked the old man's system very harshly.

Zuko's head ached when he remembered the events that took place at the North Pole. He was filled with confusion, anger, and sadness. The Avatar had saved him from certain death again…Why? Was he so naive that he still thought that they could be _friends_!

The sudden descent of both the large white bison and the evening sun shook Zuko from his thoughts. He quickly set his mind to the task that lay ahead. His uncle was now considered a traitor in the Fire Nation and Zuko was still a failure. The Avatar was the only option out of the shameful situation they were now in.

Zuko watched his pale, sickly Uncle sleep by the roaring fire he had made. _Maybe when I take the Avatar, I can also take some healing herbs from their camp._ Zuko glanced at his shivering Uncle. _My needs are greater than theirs.

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_At the Camp..._

Katara was exhausted. After fighting with that arrogant Fire Nation Prince for hours at the North Pole, she, Aang, and Sokka rode non-stop for 3 days. They were in search of an Earth Bending master to teach Aang. Sokka was in bad shape. He had lost his first love back at the North Pole and now he rarely complained, ate considerably less, and frequently stared off into space. Katara was running out of ways to comfort him, so she decided to leave him alone until they reached camp.

In between trying to console Sokka and helping to strengthen Aang's water bending skills, there was little time to heal the wounds she had received from the battle with Zuko. She had a few burns and scratches but she paid little attention to them.

Katara leapt down off of the great white mass that was Appa and looked around their new camp. Tall, dense bushes walled in parts of the large clearing. Beside the grassy plain was a large river that was shallow by the camp. _Great! I can practice with Aang here in the river._ Katara took another look around the clearing. _It is very peaceful here. If we stayed here two or three nights, I could help Sokka to overcome his grief. _Katara thought to herself.

Several minutes later, camp was set up and they all converged around a small cooking fire. For the first time in days, she noticed just how bad her injuries had become. The burns were swelling and the scrapes were beginning to fester. Sokka and Aang noticed too.

"Katara, go down to the river and heal those burns. They are starting to creep me out!" Sokka stated with a look of disgust. Katara glared at him but held back a retort. She didn't want to discourage her brother from finally acting like himself again.

"Ok, fine, I'll be by the river if anyone needs me." The boys didn't hear her though because they were deep in conversation about gross wounds they had seen over the years. "Or if anyone cares." muttered Katara. She wandered over to the river and took off her top to inspect the damage underneath. The worst of the injuries consisted of a long burn across her arm and a narrow burn across her belly. She dipped her hands in the water until they started to glow blue. Then she pressed them on her tummy and arm. The wounds healed and then quickly vanished. Katara thought it was odd how the pain of the wound was still a little bit there underneath the skin even though the physical mark and ceased to exist.

"You can't completely erase the wound." She whispered to herself. She quickly dressed and headed to bed with the boys. They were still telling gross stories until she threatened to dump the river on them if they weren't silent. The sudden silence comforted Katara and she fell into the most peaceful sleep she'd had in weeks. They boys followed suit and soon they were all sleeping peacefully under the protective canopy of trees.


	2. The Battle

**Chapter 2: The Battle**

AN: This is where it gets good! Beware! There is one and only one word of mild language in this.

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I don't. If I did, the new season would be aired ASAP. I hate this waiting thing!

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Zuko stared from the bushes at the sleeping group. He had noticed two things from this spying:

One: The Avatar was exhausted and would be easy to take down.

Two: The group had some sort of powerful medicine. He had seen the girl leave the camp to go down by the river. He noticed she had some rather large burns on her arms and realized he had probably given them to her. Zuko almost felt bad about what he had done until he remembered that she was his enemy and probably deserved it. Moments later, she returned but with no sign of the burns! Not one blister, not one scratch, not even a scar. That kind of medicine could certainly help his Uncle get better. The night sky grew even darker and Zuko put into action his plan.

He quietly crept into the camp. Luckily, the Avatar slept closer to the bushes than the other two. Zuko picked up a large, nearby rock and slipped closer to the sleeping boy. The kid would have a large headache when he woke up, but that wasn't his problem. He soundlessly knocked the boy unconscious and threw him over his shoulder.

Now all he had to do was find the medicine. He silently looked through all the bags around camp but found nothing. He was starting to get desperate until he spied something glowing in the moonlight; the Water Bender's necklace. That must have been how she was healed so quickly. The girl was sleeping peacefully with a slight smile on her face. Zuko stared at the innocent and fragile picture before him. He leaned down and started to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear and then stopped when he remembered his mission. "_I have to heal Uncle."_ Zuko thought sternly to himself. His hand changed course and reached for the necklace. He almost had it in his grasp when her eyes fluttered open and she saw him. At first she continued to smile at him but then realization sparked in her eyes and she let out a loud scream.

Sokka immediately sat up, boomerang in had and looked around franticly. Katara looked around too and when she saw Aang draped across Zuko's shoulder, she dropped into her fighting stance.

"What are you doing here Zuko? Why won't you leave Aang alone?" Katara yelled.

"You wouldn't understand water peasant!" Zuko yelled back.

"Aang was the only person that actually wanted to save you back at the North Pole. He rescued you! Is this how you repay him! Did the North Pole teach you nothing!" Katara practically screamed. Zuko glared and was practically spitting fire as they circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

The first move actually came from Sokka. He shouted and threw his boomerang with deadly accuracy at Zuko. Zuko ducked quickly, saving his head but loosing the Avatar in the process. Aang had slid off Zuko's back and was rolling down the hill toward the river bank. Zuko forgot the fight with the other two and sprinted off to the river. Sokka ran after him and the two began to struggle, but even with his warrior training, Sokka lost. Zuko kicked Sokka into the gut and sent him sprawling into a nearby tree. Sokka slumped to the ground unconscious.

Katara had been watching the battle from the top of the bank. After seeing her brother knocked unconscious, she became very angry and forgot her water bending training. She charged down the hill and head butted Zuko in the stomach. The two tumbled into the river. Zuko's image of the fragile innocent girl was shattered and in its place stood a ticked off teenage water bender. He sent out a flaming kick that sent her on her back into the river. She was singed, dripping wet, and mad as hell. If she wasn't trying her best to kill him, he would have found her appearance very funny. She rested in the water gathering her strength for her next attack. She didn't notice that her hands had started to glow blue…

She launched herself at his back and jumped up on him. She wrapped her glowing hands around his eyes. She only meant to disorient him but then…

The visions of his banishment and the long years of his futile search flooded both of their eyes and Katara watched with horror as the memory of Zuko's Agni-Kai with his father played in her mind's eye. As quickly as it came, it all vanished. The scar absorbed the healing power and broke up, completely healed.

Katara slid slowly off his back into the shallow river. Zuko cupped his face in his hands and shook. Katara felt tears stinging her eyes and felt them slowly trickle down her face. She shed the tears that Zuko could not. He stood there just shaking with his back to her. Suddenly he turned around and stared at her with an intense look of pain, anger and relief.

"What have you done?" He whispered slowly. "What-have-you-done?"

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gasp! yes, she healed his scar! Ooooo...how sneaky! Read and Review...If you like what I did, I will post the next chapter. If not...well...I'll just go cry in my room and wait till the next season comes out like the loser I am. 


	3. The Aftermath

**Chapter 3: The Aftermath**

**AN:** Yay! New Chapter! Whoohoo! I'm sorry if I have been super slow. I am studying for my exams. Yaaaay….fun….. : Anyway, I thought I would take a break from endless note cards to write another chapter! I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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_ "__What have you done?" _Zuko whispered.

"I…I…It was an accident…" Katara stuttered "…I didn't know that my healing powers would…I'm sorry…." Zuko glared at her. He was hurt, confused, and was about to take it all out on the girl in front of him when he suddenly wondered if the girl had seen the memory of the Agni-Kai with his father.

"What did you see?" Zuko's question surprised Katara. She had been expecting him to yell at her, not question her. The truth was that Katara would have preferred the yelling to his simple question. The answer to that question would probably raise the horrible memory again and would inevitably bring Zuko's wrath upon her.

"I…nothing…I saw nothing." Katara answered quietly. She quickly lowered her head to hide her lying eyes from Zuko's penetrating glare. She moved too slowly and Zuko knew. He knew that she had seen the entire thing. All the way from the battle to the present, she had seen all the humiliation.

_ I have to get away…she knows…_ Zuko thought. He was starting to panic and was about to make a bolt for the forest when he felt a small cool and on his arm. Zuko turned to face the waterbender. Katara meant to tell him she was sorry but stopped when she saw his face. She took in the picture of his unmarred face in the moonlight for the first time. He was handsome, no, beautiful. His muscled body and his strong features practically glowed in the light of the full moon.

"Waterbender…" Zuko said softly. Katara looked back up at his eyes and waited for his next thought. Zuko stared at her for a few moments and then…

He shoved her hand off his arm.

"…Don't ever touch me again." Zuko said sternly. He turned and fled into the woods, and didn't look back.

Katara stood there shocked and hurt. She fell into the water and stared at the retreating figure with blurry eyes. The battle and healing Zuko's scar cost her all the energy she had. She didn't check on Aang, she knew he was safe from Zuko for a while.

_ He will probably come after me now. _Katara thought wryly.

The water rushed around her exhausted body soothing it. As she began to faint, all she could see was fire, burning and Zuko's heart wrenching scream.

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At first, Zuko didn't return to his uncle. He wandered the woods oblivious to direction and time. The scar was gone…his scar was gone…It still burned inside of him though. The memory burned even brighter than ever in his mind. Zuko stopped running and kneeled down in the undergrowth of the forest.

_ I have to put it back._

He slowly raised his hand up to his eye and prepared to unleash a fireball.

_ I have to put it back._

The end of his fist started to glow orange and red and a soft heat hit his eye.

_ I have to put it back._

Zuko suddenly saw big blue eyes and an angel's sweet face pleading with him.

_ But I have to put it back_

His arm began to shake and become unsteady. The angel's eyes were crying.

Zuko lowered his hand slowly into his lap and silent tears slid down his cheeks. Zuko brushed them away, disgusted at the sign of weakness. _I need to get back to Uncle Iroh. _Zuko thought crossly. _He still needs my help._

Zuko found his original trail again and headed for camp. All along the way, he thought of how he was going to explain his…condition…to Uncle Iroh. He walked into camp quietly. The fire was burning very softly now and he saw his uncle curled up near it. Iroh was ghostly pale, shivering violently, and barely breathing. Zuko realized that the fire was reflecting his Uncle's health condition and both were not faring well at all.

_ What am I going to do now? He is worse than ever and I have no medicine._ Zuko built the fire up to a roaring blaze and covered his uncle in all the blankets they had. He even took off his own clothing to the bare minimum to cover his Uncle. He finally stopped shivering but just to make sure, Zuko slept near his Uncle to give him extra warmth. Zuko slowly closed his eyes and rested his tired body. He tried not to dream but he still saw the angel's eyes, those beautiful eyes that were once filled with tears now smiled at him and Zuko felt a great sense of calm wash over him. It was like the calm he first felt when that waterbender healed his scar…

Zuko sat up quickly. The waterbender had healing powers…she could heal Uncle Iroh!


End file.
